Information for Durham students about work abroad

Working or Practical Training Abroad as Part of a Durham Degree

A year abroad can be added to a BSc Physics degree, within the BSc Physics (with year abroad degree). This additional year primarily aims at providing an international experience. It may be devoted to studying in another university, in the EU or further away, or to working with a company or with a research laboratory located abroad for the equivalent of a full academic year, or both to studying and to working. Much of the information provided in our studying abroad page also applies to international work placements within this degree. In particular, as for study placements, work (or training) placements in the EU can be supported by the Erasmus scheme of the European Commission and the tuition fees are much reduced for the year abroad. The Department's Exchanges Coordinator will be happy to discuss the possibilities with any interested student.

Erasmus funding (about €350 per month) might also be available for supporting 3-month or longer training placements that postgraduate students would need to do outside the UK as part of their PhD degree. Students interested are welcome to explore the possibilities with the Department's Exchanges Coordinator. Depending on the destination, the placement might best be organised as a study placement or as a work placement. Application for the latter is by an on-line application form accessible through the "International Office Guidance for Students" pages on DUO.

International Extra Curricular Work Placements for Durham Students

We strongly encourage our students to complement the formation we provide by undertaking extra curricular periods of practical training or by working during vacations in a research or industrial laboratory, in Durham or elsewhere. In particular, doing an internship abroad is almost always immensely valuable.

For Durham undergraduates, opportunities for extra curricular work placements will necessarily be limited to placements during vacations too short to be funded through the Erasmus programme.

Work placements in France or Spain will required a formal internship agreement (a "Convention de Stage" or "Convenio de Colaboración") which must be signed by the Department as well as by the student and by the receiving organisation. The Exchanges Coordinator can provide the relevant form and arrange for the necessary signature on the Durham side.